Footwear has evolved significantly in recent years. Footwear is available for almost every imaginable use and activity, particularly athletic footwear for sporting activities. Skateboarders pioneered a sliding or grinding technique whereby the skateboarder engaged the underside of the skateboard on a support surface such as a sidewalk curb or pipe handrail and would slide thereon for extended distances.
Grinding became so popular that footwear was developed having a slick hardened underside instead of the conventional rubber, tractional, surface ordinarily associated with athletic footwear, such as tennis shoes. The wearer could more effectively slide or grind using footwear with a slick hardened underside. Also, grind plates were used that provided a large surface area on which to slide. However, control while sliding and grinding has always been problematic.
Grind plates having a concave surface adapted to receive, for example, a pipe of a handrail have been used to provide the wearer increased control while grinding on particular surfaces. However, grind plates with a specific configuration adapted for one particular grinding surface have significant limitations and do not lend themselves to enjoyment on a variety of surfaces.
For this reason, a need exists for an improved grinding apparatus that overcomes the disadvantages of previous grinding devices.